Fountainbridge, Tolcross and Lothian Road

This walk covered some of the grittier, industrial  districts of central Edinburgh. Starting with the tall chimney of the former Caledonian Whiskey Distillery, now enveloped in a housing estate with the distillery having closed in the eighties.

You may wonder at this photo of a tattoo parlour, but its significance (to which the unusual shape of the shop front may offer a clue) is that it was the entrance to the foyer of the second oldest cinema in Scotland

Above and below are shots of the Dalry Swim Centre, a rather grand looking Victorian swimming baths

Above and below are photos of Dalry House, dating back to 1661 and so much predating the largely Victorian surroundings, although it is now flats.

The art deco Fountainbridge Library, with its bookish reliefs on its front

Some more of the industrial past - the North British Rubber Works

The Union Canal, of course once very much part of the industrial landscape but now overlooked by flats enjoying the view of the cleaned up canal

This is the former HQ of the St Cuthberts Co-operative Association

Suitable motto from a co-op

What is left of the Edinburgh Meat Market - a grand entrance

This is the former Edinburgh Industrial Brigade Home, built to provide accommodation and training for up to 85 homeless boys in local tanneries, breweries and slaughterhouses.

Former Methodist Central Hall

This grand building was founded in 1906 over what had been yet another local brewery. It is the Kings Theatre

And next door is the rather lovely Bennets Bar whose trade is much improved by theatre performances (as the barman told me when I popped in for a well deserved drink)

Amazing old interior

In fact there were two bars inside, but only one barman, and when I arrived, only one customer

Lothian House, another art deco building, originally a tax office but now flats

Below was once the Trustee Savings Bank, hence the motto on the no doubt listed entrance. Now a Japanese restaurant

Festival Square

Usher Hall, a concert venue opened in 1914 but now disfigured by a modern part wrap around

Royal Lyceum Theatre around the corner

Kings Stables Road

St Cuthbert's Graveyard is very atmospheric

The church dates back to 1894 although the steeple is older. Apparently its the seventh rebuild of a church on that site

 

The watchtower in the corner was built in 1827 so that a guard could watch for bodysnatchers seeking fresh corpses for medical dissection!

The interior  of  St John's church is quite spectacular, especially the fan-vaulted ceiling

The Waldorf Astoria Caledonian Hotel. This was originally the station hotel for Princes Street station, long closed and demolished leaving just Waverley station at the other end of Princes Street

These are what is left of the gates to the old station at the back of the hotel.